My 10Yo Wont Eat!!!

I know this is different but maybe you could enroll him in a cooking class. That way he sees other kids eating different foods and maybe he will want to be like his dad.

We always had the 3 bite rule in our house. We had to eat that, but no more if you didn't like it.

I don't know if my info will help, but maybe.

Our 3 year old does the same thing.

I let her have a say in what we have for dinner and she gets to help fix it. She has to eat 4 bites of whatever we make before she can say she doesn't like it or that she wants something else (1 bite to be nice, 2 bites to get the taste, 3 bites to determine if she really likes it or not, and 4 bites because it's one bite more than her age).

Then if she doesn't like it she can either (1) eat a pb&J sandwich (counts as a bread serving, a meat serving, and a fruit - we use wheat bread, Jif PB and homemade "jelly" which is really just a fruit spread) or (2) wait until the next meal -she doesn't get any snacks of any kind and can only get water to drink (do this because she was replacing food with drinks). Everytime she choses option 2, she eats at the next meal!

I've been told not to get in the habit of making another meal for my child - fix 1 meal and let that be it - but I have a hard time not offering her something to eat. I let her chose because more times than not the whole reason she's chosing not to eat is because of control reasons. She feels like she doesn't have a say in what goes on, so she rebels against what I say. Typically, if she gets a say in what we have to eat and gets to help prepare it she eats it.

~A. C

Okay, I have a 5 year old and he is a picky eater. He would live off of Mac-n-Cheese if he could. He only weighs 42 lbs. We get him to eat new things by bribing him with the sweet foods that he likes and explaining to him that he doesn't know whether he likes it or not unless he tries it first. If he finishes all his food then he can have 1 ice cream sandwich after supper but if he doesn't then it's no sweets for him. We also don't allow him to have a snack after school or he won't eat at dinner. It worked for us and he's broadened his variety of foods and he eats constantly but he still only weighs 42 lbs. I think the success of the method you use is based on the personality of the child. Some that work on some children might not work on others.

I think the key words here are happy and active. I think you are handling it the best way there is to handle it. If you feel like he's malnourished, try giving him pediasure or multivitamins. My daughter was like that and in a way still is. I just continued to give her the things that she did eat and kept introducing new things. As she got older, she started liking new things. So take a deep breath and relax...YOU ARE DOING GREAT!

Hi my name is R. and I have the same problem except my son is 9 it is normal or at least thats what I keep getting just keep offering him other foods me and my son have made a deal if he just tries new food I will not make him eat it just try to see if he will like it he's eating a couple of foods he would not touch before Hope this helps

Hi J.,
I had a problem sort of like that a couple of years ago. My boyfriend got his daughter from his ex and she stayed with us for a little over a year. when we first got her she didn't want to eat anything but mac and cheese, cereal, chicken nuggets, corn, french fries, and the skin off of the fried chicken. she did not eat green vegatables at all. The first week I didn't force her to eat the stuff but after that the rules had to change. I have 4 kids of my own and I can't be making something different for each kid. Our rule is you have to eat a green vegatable every night. I didn't care if she had to dump ketchup on everything she had to eat it... I went through a bottle of ketchup at least a week. By the time she went home she was eating spinach and turnip greens WITHOUT the ketchup. She knows she has to eat what is on her plate or she doesn't eat till the next time we eat. whether it be a snack or a meal. It took her a little while but she got it down and actually likes a lot of different types of food now.
Good luck with your son!

Hi J., I feel the same way. You have to try something before you can say you dont like it. My mom always told us that we had to eat what was on our plate or we went to bed hungry and I can remember my sister falling asleep at the table because she would not take one bite to try something new. He will eat when he gets hungry. Just make sure to keep healthy snacks around.

Hi J., I was scrolling through the responses to you (I joined after your request) because I saw in your summary that your 10 yr old has allergies and asthma. That may be the crux of the problem with his eating. Allergies make you very uncomfortable generally and asthma involves a lot of fear. Your child needs to go outside for two reasons. One is that the Vitamin D from the sun is essential for his health and the fresh air and exercise is needed. Do you know if you have a toxic home? Certain household cleaners and even the laundry detergent you use on his clothes can be triggering his allergies and asthma and when the cause is not direct (immediate response to allergen) it's not so noticeable. I use a line of non-toxic household and personal care products that will remove all those triggers from your home and when his conditions improve he will relax more and want to go play. When he burns the calories and actually gets hungry, he will be more interested in eating well. If he takes medications, his metabolism is slowed and food does not seem as important to him as it is to you. Contact me at ____@____.com to get some information on the products - they are wholesale prices and good for the whole family. I don't sell them but I love sharing the source.

Hey J.,

I have a 10 yr. old also who sounds just like yours.
I have stopped saying "what do you want for breakfast, lunch dinner" I make it and put it in front of him. He is active.
We recently saw our family Doc. and she noticed his weight was 69lbs. She did not seem too concerned w/ it. Are you thin? I am and so is my 20yr.old son and my Dad. So, it could be hereditary?
Be sure and keep an eye on his over all health. If you are still concerned you should see your Doc.And keep giving healthy snacks and food. Hope this helps !!

N.

Hello, My daughter, neice, and nephew has ashma and they are ambuteral and ever since they have been on it all three are very picky eaters and dont eat very well. I am not sure, but it may be the steriod medicine messing with their taste buds. My neice is the worst one and she was started on it at a younger age than my nephew and daughter. But we still try to get them to try differant foods. Eventualy they will grow to like new foods...just give it time and keep trying. Good Luck!
J.

My 8 yo the same way! She is only wieight bout 58lbs while her 4yo step sister weight 63lbs. The only way She have to eat is when we force her to try and tell her she must finish off that plate which I only put small amount on her plate. Our rule is the kids must finish off the plate then free to go and do anything they want if not finish they can't get out of their chiars. We explain to them they have to give time to get use to it then soon or later they will start to like it.. It did work for me! My oldest love what I cook and start asking me if I will be cooking that again! As for my 4 yo step daughter, my husband told me she used to be a eater when she was a baby. Will eat anything including the veggies... They my husband and his Ex. broke up, she got her and he never got to see his daughter for 2 yrs. He fought hard and won his rights to visitation for his daughter. When we finally got her at our home, oh lord, she was so very picky!!!! She wont eat but only junk foods which we forbid it to be only that... We had to work with her same as we did with my 8 yo. She getting there but still long way to go. Her mother let her eat whatever she want which is junk foods and it kinda ruin her but we working on her and she getting there! Now I have soon tobe 5 mons. old baby, hopefully she be no problem haha!! By the way I'm 31 yr old mother of 3 kids.. I'm a stay at home mom..

Have you talked to your pediatrician? Some kids are just smaller than others. When I was 10, I weighed 45 lbs, but my son is now 7 and he weighs 62 lbs. I have picky eaters too. (I am one myself!!) My daughter went to stay with my brother for a month when she was 6, and he told her house rule was to take a bite of everything before deciding if you like it or not. Now she is 15 and is fairly easy to please, although she still doesn't eat a lot of veggies. My 7 yr old is picky, but loves cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. He has learned that he likes Mexican Food. My 3 yr old eats everything that doesn't eat him first!. My theory is - as long as it isn't hurting them, leave them alone. But don't run after them fixing different things as they'll take advantage of it. Plus if they go out to eat or to someone's house, they will be very disappointed to find out others won't be so amenable!! I had a nephew who was very picky, and all he ate for an entire summer was hot dogs and popcorn. Pediasure is agood SUPPLEMENT, but if they get to drink it instead of meals, it is hard to get them to EAT food (learned that with my 7 year old)

Good luck

S.